Process of making catalyzers.



the present invention.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

GARLETON ELLIS, OF MONTGLAIR,. NEW JERSEY.

PROCESS OF MAKING GATALYZERS.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARLE'roN ELLIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Montclair, in the county of Essex .and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Making Oatalyzers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to catalytic material-and process of making same and relates particularly to metallic or metalliferous material in a finely divided condition, especially nickel'material which as the pre ferred embodiment hereof will be hereinafter specifically described as illustrative of The preparation of finely divided nickel for catalytic purposes as heretofore practised usuallyinvolves a lengthy and costlyprocedure. The-metal is dissolved in an acid to form a salt solution, a porous car rier is impregrated with the solution, a precipitating agent such as an alkali 'is' added, the composition-washed thoroughly,

dried, ignitedand reduced.

, To be effective catalytically the nickel ma- 1 terial shouldbe in a very finely divided or extended-condition whichv the foregoing procedure accomplishes more or less satisfactorily at times, but. always there exists the danger of introduction at somestage or: an-

other of traces or quantities of bodies such as chlorin, sulfur and the like which are in jurious to catalyzers, weakening or destroy- 'ing their efiiciency and hence much variation appears in the quantity of catalyzer even when pre ared'from day to day under supposedly unlform conditions.

' torilyavoide fat - By the resent invention not only may these .troub esomepreliminary operations be dispensed with, but also danger from contamination by catalyzer poisons is satisfac- My invention in its referred form' involves the utilization o the disintegrating efi'ect of an electrical current or arcbetw'een a pole or poles of nickel preferably immersed in a vehicle offering considerable resistance to the electric current such as 'water, aqueous solutions, organic compounds as hydrocarbon oils, salts in a molten condition and the like, thereby producing'nickel material 'inafinely divided condition often requiring "little or no further treatment to serve as a catalyzer. When water or aqueouslsolutions of oxidizing salts are used an oxidizing 'eifect 1s secured under some c1r-.

Specification of Letters'l'atent.

Application .filed August 30, 1913. Serial No. 787,545.

Patented Apr. '7, 1914.

cumstances, while with many organic compounds the metal or metal and carbon mixtures may form. The fused salts enable oxidizing, neutral or reducing or other conditions to be maintained according to the salt selected. 4

As an illustrative example of the invention, two electrodes of pure nickel in bar or rod form are connected one to the positive and the other to the negative pole of a source of electricity. The ends of the nickel rods are dippedin water and brought in contact, then separatedso as to form an .are under the water. This results in the production of nickel material usually of a brown to blackish color in a state of more or less fine division, some of this material often being so fine and flocculent asto remain suspended in water for severaldays. Distilled water employed. By the use of distilled water the .iiitroduction of contaminating bodies is practically or entirely avoided.

Regulation of the arc is desirable in or- 191 to avoid melting away particles of nickel in the shape of large" fragments which are not useful for the present purpose, although there is always some coarse material formed in this manner under the ordinary method of procedure which can, however, be avoided by certain means. When the product contains such heavy nickel particles the product may be levigated and the lighter sludge separated from the heavy nickel residue. The sludge is evaporated to dryness'when a very light nickel material is obtained, which may be used at once as a catalytic body or may first be reduced in i. hydrogen or other reducing material. Or,

the wet sludge may be heatedwith oil to expel the water in order to produce a form of nickel which remains suspended in oil for a long period and this may be used as catalytic basis. In such a case it is usually well to heat to 230-250 C. in the early stage of the hydrogenation treatment and after a time the temperature may be reduced to 200 and lower.

The present method yields a product which is effective catalytically and is so extended that no carrier is necessarily required although the use of av carrier is in no wise prohibited, but is not recommended ordinarily as the nickel is used and recovered to better advantage when not adulterated with alarge amount of inert material.

Nickel when treated in the foregoing man ner using distilled water does not form a colloidal solution to any extent, but simply divides .into highly flocculent pulverulent precipitate.

The voltage of the current employed should be regulated in respect to the size of the arc and vehicle in which this is formed. The amperage is regulated with respect to the quantity of nickel to be converted. With the ordinary lightin current of A. C. 110 volts, I have been. ab e to produce finely divided nickel material of a satisfactory character and without excessive current consumption provided that the proper gap be tween electrodes is constantly maintained.

By myinvention nickel material may be reduced either in a metallic, oxidized conitlon or-otherwise which is of peculiar construction besides being of' a flaky and voluminous character. Itwill be found when examined under the microscope using high magnification especially with dark ground illuminator a Web like formation of'matter is present somewhat resembling tissue plants or anlmals permeated more or less with pores 'orcanals and in many instances resembling the appearance of the thin sections of portions, of animal 'or'vegetable livingitissue. Q 1

y invention is not limited to the ,il-lustrative nickel material herein, but comprises cobalt and the like including all mater al of- .an equivalent character properly falling within the scope of this invention.

Reference is made here to the work of Bredig who prepared colloidal solutions of platinum and certain other metals by -means of an electric are between two poles of the metal under water or very dilute-alkali. He thus obtained aqueous colloidal solutions of platinum and the like and I do not laycIaim erein to; such aqueous mixtures, as these,

especially for the pn ose of hardening fatty oils, are not well'a apted owing to the tendency of the water present to cause hydrolysis of glycerids into free fatty acids and glycerin, thereby endangering the fatty material or changing its composition "or flavor.

I The present process is.

moved by filtration and the production of any colloidal nickel or other metal employed for. this purpose is, merely incidental if produced at all. In general it may be stated that by using the nickel in the form ofrods or bars. of suitable thickness, the formation of a nickel precipitate of this finely divided substantially non-colloidal character may be secured. v If by chance or by purpose any v rimarily directed toward the production 0 a finely divided 'nickel precipitate which may be readily recolloidal nickel formed during the operation the metal so'converted is not retained readily by the filter and in order to recover nickel in this form the colloidal solution would have to be treated with some coagulant.

What I claim is;

1. The process of producing catalytic material adapted for use in the hardening of fatty oils which comprises forming an arc between electrodes comprisin nickel material and in the presence of a liquid medium,

and in collecting the finely divided nickelcontaining precipitate resulting from the erodin action of such are. 2. The process of producing catalytic material adapted for use in. hardening fatty oils which comprises passing an electric cur-- rent of arc forming strength between electrodes comprising nickel material and in the presence of a liquid'med'i'um and in collectingthe finely divided nickel-containing precipitate resulting. from the eroding action of said electric current.

3. The process of producing catalytic material-adapted for use. the. hardening of fatt oils which comprises subjecting a' thic -mass of nickel as an electrode to-the action of an electric arc and in the presence of a liquid medium; whereby nickel of a substantially-colloidal form .is obtained, and

in collecting the precipitate resulting from the eroding action of such arc.

4. The process ofproducing catalytic material wh ch comprisesforming an are between nickel electrodes in'the presence. of

water and in collecting the finely divided precipitate resulting from 'terial I which I comprises forming an'jarc between nickel electrodes in the presence of a liquid medium and incollecting-the-finely' divided nickel containing material resulting from the eroding action of sueh are, in heating the wet nickel materialwlthf 011 to expel water and produce an oil base contain' ing nickel material.

igned at Montclair in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey this 27th day of August A. 'D. 1913.

Witnesses:'

B M. ELLIS,- F. CANBUTT.

CARLETON ELLIS.- 

